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PARCC and Smarter Balanced Begin Pilot Exam Rollouts

Mar 24, 2014

PUTTING TESTS TO THE TEST: Let the digital assessment pilot rollouts begin! Today, state-led consortium PARCC rolls out its pilot exams in 14 states and D.C. for more than 1 million students. Of those students, two-thirds will take a digital test exam. According to Politico, PARCC will issue live updates on its website and via @PARCCplace on "how many students are doing the practice run, what seems to be working well and where we have glitches."

Politico also reports that students will be surveyed at the conclusion of each pilot exam. The survey questionnaire will ask "how they interacted with the PARCC field test, how easy or difficult the technology was to use, whether the test directions were clear and understandable, and whether they had enough time to complete the test." The findings will be released to the public this summer. More updates from PARCC here.

But what about Smart Balanced (SB)? The other state-led consortium will begin pilots on Tuesday after a week-long delay to allow for the SB testing group to run additional simulations, Politico reports. California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson will hold news conferences and demonstrations of the field tests in elementary schools in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Get all the deets on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress website.

column |

PARCC and Smarter Balanced Begin Pilot Exam Rollouts

Mar 24, 2014

PUTTING TESTS TO THE TEST: Let the digital assessment pilot rollouts begin! Today, state-led consortium PARCC rolls out its pilot exams in 14 states and D.C. for more than 1 million students. Of those students, two-thirds will take a digital test exam. According to Politico, PARCC will issue live updates on its website and via @PARCCplace on "how many students are doing the practice run, what seems to be working well and where we have glitches."

Politico also reports that students will be surveyed at the conclusion of each pilot exam. The survey questionnaire will ask "how they interacted with the PARCC field test, how easy or difficult the technology was to use, whether the test directions were clear and understandable, and whether they had enough time to complete the test." The findings will be released to the public this summer. More updates from PARCC here.

But what about Smart Balanced (SB)? The other state-led consortium will begin pilots on Tuesday after a week-long delay to allow for the SB testing group to run additional simulations, Politico reports. California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson will hold news conferences and demonstrations of the field tests in elementary schools in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Get all the deets on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress website.